Training Day 16 of 71: The Next Level

The next level of distance went fairly well. 9 miles starting a mile inland in Santa Monica, then down the Santa Monica stairs to the beach where I ran 3.5 miles to where Sunset Blvd hits the Pacific Coast Highway. The beach looked like a postcard of sunny California perfection. I had assumed the bike path on the beach would go all the way to Sunset but it turned out that it ended about a half mile before then. So I wound up running in the sand next to the ocean for that last chunk. I thought this would be really difficult but it was actually fine. Maybe the exhilaration of being next to the crashing surf, smelling the gusts of salty air, and watching the surfers cruising in on the waves then paddling back out helped. It was fun.

The run back was pretty good. To deal with the longer distance this week I had to take my running gear to the next level as well, so I was wearing my totally awesome new orange water pack (see photo) and white visor which are both engineered to mold to the body in the most comfortable ways. I was really grateful for the water pack. I would say I remained strong until the last mile. After climbing the Santa Monica stairs and taking to the residential streets to get back to my car, things slowed way down. I guess I was just tired at that point. So I focused on relaxing my body as much as possible. Relaxing the calves and ankles and hip flexors, just leaning into gravity. Then I made it and it felt really good. And I felt really good for the rest of the day too.

I want to check back in with my original purpose for running this 'Yogic Marathon' for a moment, as defined in my first entry: "Last fall I couldn't help but wonder what running a marathon would do to my mind; what cracks it might create in my idea of myself and reality at large..." In Donna Farhi's beautiful book Bringing Yoga to Life she specifically addresses this question: "When we are in full command of our physical, mental, and emotional capacities and in complete possession of our self, we begin to live fearlessly and to open to new experiences, new possibilities, and new challenges. Then the energy that we may have previously squandered defending and fortifying a limited definition of self is mobilized to express our unique talents and abilities. These abilities can then be directed in such a way as to fulfill our personal destiny." Awesome.

I guess I just want to acknowledge that doing this training while also continuing my yoga practice has been giving me a real sense that I am living my destiny. Not that it is off there in the distant future and I'm trying to move toward it, but that it is fully happening every day. And it isn't about making a ton of money or being acknowledged by an elite group of peers in some professional realm. It is just about committing to something exciting that reflects my authentic values, and following through.